


An Actress's Dream

by showtunediva



Series: In pursuit of  character [5]
Category: Seussical: The Musical - Flaherty/Ahrens
Genre: Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1837120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/showtunediva/pseuds/showtunediva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this story my original Seussical character Demi The Who  is transported  to  The Jungle of Nool where  she is befriended by Gertrude McFuzz and gets  advice on performing from the Bird Girls.  Demi is an aspiring actress</p><p> </p><p>A collaboration with Sophie  (The Cat'sApprentice19) on Fanfiction.net    Kirsty is her original character that appears in her story  What Really Happened. </p><p> </p><p>Our story begins with Kirsty and Demi meeting.  Kirsty  is a  teenage Australian orphan who  finds herself magically transported  to  the world of Seuss.</p><p> </p><p>  This story is dedicated to  my PTA  Play Co-Star  Michelle Emmond  who the character Zoe is based upon.  She is the hugest support  system for me throughout all the plays and always gives me the best advice about play auditions.  You're the best  Michelle!  I love you so much!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting A New Friend

**Author's Note:**

> We own no Seussical characters
> 
>  
> 
> FYI For PTA Cast Mates who are reading 
> 
> Your Character Names are as follows  
> Mr. Mayor Aaron Steve Hammes  
> Mrs. Mayor Helen Karen Hammes  
> jocelyn Sarah Ericson  
> Abigail Sonya Walcott  
> Charles Russ Slater  
> Sophia Alison Slater
> 
>  
> 
> Bird Girls  
> Zoe Michelle Emmond  
> Skye Irene Raisis Alton  
> Scarlet Jenn Fichera  
> Orla Athena Kochliaris  
> Tia Katie Hammes  
> Jessica Megan Hammes  
> Evie Megan Ostrowski 
> 
>  
> 
> Wickershams  
> Zac Ethan Boucher  
> Hugo Ben Wesenberg

Today I was walking down town running some errands when I ran into an unfamiliar person I had never met before. She looked around my cousin Jeff's age.. maybe a few years younger.

"Hi. Are you lost?" I asked.

The stranger nodded. "Yes, I am new to Whoville and I'm still trying to learn my way around town."

"Are you from around here?"

"No. I'm actually from Australia on Planet Earth."  
"How did you get to Whoville?"  
"Well, actually I was originally in the Jungle of Nool staying with Horton the Elephant. I'm not sure how I ended up here."

"What's your name?"  
"Kirsty. I'm living with Mr. and Mrs. Mayor and Jojo."  
I smiled. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Demi. Where are you looking to go?"  
"The library. I don't know much about this place so I want to learn more about the history and the people."  
"I'll walk with you. I need to drop some books off on my way to the store. Will you need someone to walk you home?"  
Kirsty smiled. "That's very nice of you. Mrs. Mayor said she would pick me up later."  
"How old are you?" I asked.  
"I just turned 15 a few days ago."  
"Happy Birthday. I have a cousin around your age. Do you go to Whoville High?"  
Kirsty nodded. "Yeah, I'm a freshmen. What grade is your cousin in?"  
"He's a junior."  
"I haven't made a lot of friends yet. Do his friends have any siblings my age?"  
I nodded. "Yes. His best friend Randy has a younger sister named Lauren. I will have to introduce you to her sometime."  
"That would be great." Kirsty smiled at me.  
"Was your cousin drafted into the army led by General Schmitz?"  
I nodded sadly. "Unfortunately yes. I already miss him. My other cousin was also drafted but she's too young to fight she's only 12."  
We walked the rest of the way to the library in silence.

Later that night at dinner my uncle looked at me.  
Demi, how would you like to go a concert this weekend?"

I ginned. "Sure Uncle Charles, anything to get my mind off of this stupid war. Where is the concert?"  
"At the community center. A local jazz band is playing."  
"Can Abby and Jocelyn come too?"  
"The more the merrier."  
Abby and Jocelyn are my best friends. Their siblings have also gone to General Schmitz's Military Academy and going to fight in the Butter Battle.

"I met someone new today." I said  
"Really, who is it? my aunt asked.

"Her name is Kirsty. She's living with Mr. and Mrs. Mayor and Jojo."  
"Is she an exchange student? I didn't know Mr. and Mrs. Mayor were hosting an exchange student."  
"I suppose you could say that. She said she's from Planet Earth. She was originally staying in the Jungle of Nool with Horton The Elephant."  
My uncle nodded. "Very interesting. What's she like?"  
"She seems very shy. Hopefully she makes friends at Whoville High."  
"What grade is she in?  
"9th."  
"Jeff's friend has a sister in 9th grade. Maybe they've met."  
I shrugged. " I don't know."

Saturday night I picked up Jocelyn and Abby around 6:15. The concert was starting at 7:00.  
"I'm so excited about this concert!" Jocelyn said.  
I grinned. "I am too. I am so glad my uncle suggested this idea. I think it will get all our minds off of the butter battle and how much we miss our relatives who are fighting in it."

My uncle met us on the front steps of the community center with the tickets. He smiled at us.  
"You ladies look lovely tonight."  
Jocelyn smiled. "Thank you Mr. Daniels. We're looking forward to seeing the show."  
We went into the auditorium to find our seats. As I was about to sit down Kirsty ran up to me.  
"Hi Demi!! I didn't know you were going to be here tonight."  
I smiled. "Are Mr. and Mrs. Mayor here too?"  
Kirsty nodded. "Yeah. We're sitting over there." She pointed across the aisle two rows up from where we were sitting.  
The lights flickered on and off indicating the show was about to start.  
"See you at intermission!" Kirsty said and went to join Mr. and Mrs. Mayor.  
My aunt smiled at me. "She seems very sweet Dem."

I nodded. "She is." 

The lights in the auditorium dimmed and the MC emerged from behind the curtain.

"Good evening Ladies and Gentleman. Thanks you for joining us tonight for this wonderful night of Jazz Enjoy the show!"

 

During intermission we met Mr. and Mrs. Mayor in the lobby for some punch and cookies.  
"Sophia Charles How are you enjoying the show?" Mrs. Mayor asked  
My uncle grinned. "It's wonderful! This definitely helps us to get our mind off of the Butter Battle. Have you heard from Jojo?  
Mrs. Mayor shook her head sadly. "No, we haven't."  
"Have you met our daughter Kirsty?" Mr. Mayor asked..  
My uncle shook his head. "No but Demi has told us so much about her. Welcome to town Kirsty."  
Kirsty smiled shyly. "Thank you sir."


	2. Thinking Complexities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CAT & ALL  
> Think a trip on a ship  
> To the Vipper of Vipp
> 
> WOMEN  
> Or to Solla Sollew... 
> 
> CAT (spoken)  
> Think of beautiful Schlopp ...
> 
> BOY (spoken)  
> With a cherry on top!
> 
> CAT, BOY, ALL  
> You don't need an excuse! 
> 
> CAT, BOY (spoken)  
> Oh, the thinks you can think
> 
> CAT, BOY, ALL  
> When you think about Seuss!  
> Seuss, Seuss, Seuss,-  
> Seuss....
> 
> ~Oh The Things You Can Think Opening Number from Seussical The Musical. I do not own these lyrics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write odd numbered chapters  
> TheCat'sApprentice19 writes even numbered chapters

Kirsty's was close to mentally screaming. Everything had been turned on its head in the past week, even from where she had started from, which was anything but understandable. This couldn't be happening? Why was everything completely different from what she had remembered? For a start, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor looked completely different, and didn't know her as their daughter, but as a visiting exchange student. Secondly, the Jojo she knew didn't exist, but a Jojo who was much younger and was the son of Mr. and Mrs Mayor. Other people she had met in the Whoville she had known also weren't to be seen, other complete strangers replacing them. The Jungle of Nool she had yet to figure out, but she figured that that place would also be in the same boat; a confusing and almost parallel world.  
*This doesn't make any sense…* she mused, trying to contemplate everything, while struggling to keep calm. *Last week was perfectly normal. Well, as normal as living my crazy life is. Then, next moment, instead of waking up in the Whoville I remember, I wake up in a world that supposedly is Whoville, but everything I know is completely different! What's happened to me?*  
"Kirsty? Kirsty!" A loud but gentle voice interrupted Kirsty's mental conversation, snapping her out of her head space. She turned, to see Demi beside her, waving a hand in front of her face. She had met her about a week ago, and even though she was much older than Kirsty, the two had become good friends. They were having lunch at Demi's house, which was a ten minute drive from the Mayor's estate. Her family had longed to see her again, so Demi thought this would be a great chance for everyone to get to know each other better.  
She looked back to Demi, who had a worried look on her face. "Are you okay, Kirsty? You've been staring into space all lunch."  
"Oh… I guess I haven't had enough sleep as of late." She took a sip of her hot chocolate, trying to put aside her problems. She had told Demi nothing about her human existence, Demi also believing that Kirsty was an exchange student. She hated herself for lying to her like that, but at this point, there was no way she could explain her predicament to her new friend so she would actually believe her, without knowing what was actually going on. "Probably still getting used to everything, I guess."  
Her uncle Charles smiled. "So, how has your time in Whoville been so far?"  
Kirsty sighed. "It's been okay. A little hectic, but I guess that's to be expect. Mr. and Mrs Mayor have been really welcoming, making me feel like a member of their family." She couldn't help but be reminded of her memory of the Mayor family, and how accepting they had been of her. "Have you got any more news about Jeff and Winona?"  
Charles shook his head. "Unfortunately not," he told her, sadly. "We hope to get a report on them both in the coming days, however. I just hope they're coping without all of us. The best we can do is stay positive, and hope for the best for them."  
The table was dead silent, before Sophia, Demi's aunt moved to another topic, to try and escape the subject. "So Kirsty, did you enjoy the concert the other night?" she asked. "You had gone before we could ask."  
"It was really exciting! I'd never been to an event like that before, so it was a great experience," the teenager told them.  
"That's good to hear," Charles commented, before motioning to Demi. "Demi still can't stop going on about it!"  
"I absolutely loved it!" Demi took a sip of her coffee before going on. "The style of the whole performance was so amazing. All those flashy costumes and Vegas style dance pieces!"  
This interested Kirsty. This style that Demi liked seemed to be similar to what she had seen from Mayzie La Bird, with all the glitz and glamour. Also, those girl birds she had seen when Horton and herself found the dust speck also seemed to fit in with Demi's style. "So something similar to the showgirl style?"  
"Definitely! I would love to do performances like that every night, having the time of my life. It would be a dream for me!"  
"Hmm…" Kirsty was deep in thought, a plan coming into works. *What if I could try and transport not just myself, but Demi into Nool? That could help me find out more about this parallel universe and how I can get back to my own, while showing Demi the Jungle of Nool and get her to experience the musical feel of that amazing place. But then again, it may not work, and either way could stir up a lot of questions. Would she even trust me?*  
Sophia looked up from her lunch, seeing Kirsty's worried expression. "Are you all right, Kirsty? You look a little pale. "  
Standing from her seat, she looked to Demi, then to Sophia and Charles. "Would you excuse me for a minute, please?" Quickly, she rushed outside to the backyard.  
"Would you be able to check up on her, Demi? I just want to know if she's okay," Sophia told her niece. "If anything happens, tell me and I'll ring up Mrs Mayor to come and pick her up."  
Demi nodded, before following Kirsty, who was standing at the far edge of the garden. "You look really pale. Are you positive you're okay? You've been off all afternoon. Is everything all right with you?"  
Standing away from Demi, she breathed in slowly, trying to quickly come up with something to say to her. "You wouldn't understand…I'm sorry…"  
"Of course I would understand. I'm your friend, aren't I? Friends support each other, no matter what. That's what us Whos do!"  
"That's the problem. I'm not."  
"What do you mean? What's going on?"  
Kirsty sighed, turning to Demi. "Listen, there's a lot about me that you don't know. Some which I am still unable to tell you. But there's something I need to do, and I need you to help me." She pulled her necklace out from her jacket, before holding her hand out to Demi. "You're going to have to trust me."  
There was a moment of silence, Demi silently contemplating what she should do. Slowly, she took Kirsty's hand, to when the teenager smiled. "Thank you…just close your eyes, and whatever you do, don't let go…" She gripped Demi's hand tight, and with her other hand, she held her necklace.  
*For the love of Seuss, please, PLEASE work!*  
Thinking as hard as she could, a vision of the jungle appeared so detailed in her mind. Never before had she attempted transporting not just herself, but another person. This was a risky choice. Kirsty's whole body shook, while the colours and buildings of Whoville changed into the greenery and free air of the jungle of Nool.  
Demi was the first to open her eyes, almost screaming in shock at the scenery around her. "Where am I? What is this? Is…is this the Jungle of Nool?" Demi asked, observing the surroundings. "How can we be here? I was just…" She turned around, remembering she wasn't the only one who had come here. "How on earth did you do that? Are you-"  
Taking in some much needed air, she slowly stood, her legs shaking. "-Yes, this is Nool. But none of that matters now. It's you I'm worried about. Do you feel queasy? Any pain?" When her friend shook her head, Kirsty replaced her frightened expression with a light smile. "That's good, though in a few hours you may get a little light headed. That happened to me the first time I travelled between these worlds."  
Demi's head started spinning; this was all so crazy for her to keep up with. "Hold the phone...so, you can travel between worlds? Like that cat does?" When she saw that Kirsty seemed to have no clue what she was talking about, she sighed. "Don't tell me you haven't seen the strange six foot tall cat that literally messed with everyone's existences and makes up all those random but strategically placed musical number? He's the one who sent Jojo here! Well, the boy who is now Jojo. It's all a bit complicated at the moment, but you'll get used to it."  
Shrugging out of utter bewilderment, Kirsty muttered under her breath. "This place is even crazier than I first thought…" Dusting herself off, she focused on bigger matters. "Anyway, first things first, I suggest we should…-"Her sentence was cut off, as she started to violently cough, making her double over in pain.  
"KIRSTY!" Demi rushed over to her friend, trying to help her. She managed to get her back on her feet, but her coughing didn't improve. Soon, Kirsty found small specks of blood on her hands, which didn't look healthy at all. Wincing, Kirsty tried to control her pain, but with little success. *This has to be the result of the world travelling...How could I be so stupid?!*  
Knowing that she didn't have any medical experience, Demi tried to get the attention of somebody, anybody, that might be able to help her. She soon spots two creatures, which both make her gasp in amazement.  
"Horton? Gertrude? I must be dreaming!"  
They both turned, Demi's guess in fact correct. Horton came over to her. "Yes, I'm Horton. Who are you? I haven't seen you before. Are you all right?"  
"My name's Demi," she replied. "I'm okay, but my friend isn't. Please, could you help me?"  
Rushing back over to Kirsty, the three helped her walk, before Horton took to carrying her. "What happened to her?" Gertrude asked Demi, who just shrugged in reply.  
"I don't have a clue. One moment she seemed fine, and then she suddenly started coughing." Demi shook her head, everything not adding up.  
"We should take her to my house for the time being," Horton offered, going ahead of the two. "I have an extra bed, and if we need, there's a doctor just nearby we can go to. Come on."  
As Gertrude and Demi watched him go, Gertrude sighed. "Just look at him, he's such a natural hero! And so generous as well…" her eyes suddenly flashed out of their daydream. "D-Did I say that out loud?" she asked Demi, who nodded her head slowly.  
Smiling, she whispered to her. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."  
It wasn't long until the duo arrived at Horton's home, a large hut in the shade of a large tree. After they took Kirsty inside, the three sat by her, chatting softly to wait the time away.  
"Jojo…"  
Gertrude and Demi's head's whipped around at Horton's remark, his face mixture of gloom and confusion. The two girls had been talking to each other for the past few minutes, Horton staying silent. "She...she kept saying him name…saying that he would know what to do. How does she know the Whos, o-or is this a different Jojo?"  
"Well…" She wanted to tell Horton the truth, which was that they had both come from Whoville, but Demi didn't know if that was the best thing. "Kirsty's an exchange student, living with Mr. and Mrs Mayor." The words quickly escaped her mouth, coming out in a bit of a rush. "Jojo went to the General's military academy long before she arrived. She has heard about him, but no, she hasn't met him before, at least from what she's told me. How we got into Nool…t-that still puzzles me. Kirsty seems to know a lot more about everything that what she's told me."  
Horton's mouth gaped. "You've come from Whoville? I-I…" His expression formed a wide smile of excitement. "This…this is….I…." he was speechless, as he wrapped Demi in a hug. "It's such a please to meet one of you, in person! You must tell me everything about living on Who!"  
A small laugh escaped Demi's mouth, as she was released from the tight hold. "Of course I can! I've got lots of photos as well, and there are some of my family and friends I can show you, if you'd like to see them."  
"Thank you so much," Horton exclaimed, overjoyed. "And after that, we can take you on a tour of the jungle, and introduce everyone, can't we, Gertrude?"  
The creature in question became suddenly alert, having floated into a daydream while listening to their conversation. "Hu? O-oh, of course! But only if Demi wants us to, that is." Gertrude said, motioning to Demi.  
"I would love a tour, but I don't think introducing me to the whole of the jungle would be such a good idea," she told them, before looking back to Kirsty, who was now asleep. "But I think we should wait until Kirsty's well enough before we start anything major."  
"Of course we will. And while she's getting better, you can stay with me, if you'd like!" the bird suggested. "It's getting late. How about we go and get you settled in? My house is just next door, and don't worry, it's not very high up."  
Seeing Demi looking back at Kirsty, Horton tried to re-assure her. "Don't worry; I'll look after your friend. Trust me, she's in safe hands, and if anything develops, I'll come straight over to Gertrude's to let you know."  
"Okay." Having one last glance at her friend, Demi went with Gertrude to her house. She just hoped that nothing bad had happened to Kirsty, and the moment she was better, she would be asking Kirsty all the questions she had, including about her real identity.


	3. Meeting The Bird Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gertrude intoduces Demi to the Bird Girls who is enchanted by them

Once Demi and Gertrude entered Gertrude's house, Demi was relieved to sit down and rest.  
"You must have had quite the trip," Gertrude said.  
Demi nodded. "I certainly did. I can't believe I'm in Nool. Much less that Kirsty transported me here."  
"Can I get you something to drink?"  
"I'm feeling a little light headed, so orange juice would be great. Thank you." Demi smiled warmly at her hostess, who quickly left the room, to come back shortly after with two drinks.  
"So have the other jungle creatures been giving Horton a hard time since he found our clover?"  
Gertrude nodded. "Yes. I feel awful for him. Once the citizens of the jungle meet you then they'll see that that Whos really do exist we could find a way for both our kinds to exist together as one."  
That's wonderful, but I don't think I can really stay for a very long time. I have family and friends back home," Demi explained. "Also, I don't want to cause too much of a fuss around here. I think I should be keeping a low profile for the time being, to avoid any complicated questions."  
Understanding the situation, she smiled gently. "I understand that. You will stay for a few days though won't you? I do get pretty lonely sometimes and you must want to know what this entire world has to offer."  
Demi nodded. "Of course. I want to learn my way around the jungle, bring back everything back to Who. It would mean so much to everyone." Taking a sip of her drink, something came to her. "Gertrude, I have to ask you something, why is everyone else being so cruel to Horton?"  
"Who knows…?" Sighing, she continued. "I guess it must be a bit too crazy for them to believe, and they don't really understand how he feels about saving you guys. Speaking of Who, how are things in Whoville?"  
"Absolutely terrible. So many families have split apart because of the batter battle, not to mention the cutting of the Truffula trees and the rough stability of our entire planet."  
Gertrude nodded. "Horton told me about that. It doesn't seem like the war makes a lot of sense. What difference does it make if people eat their bread butter side up?"  
Demi shrugged her shoulders. "None of us really understand that either." Suddenly, Demi noticed the loud amount of Latin music that was pulsating her ears. Loudly, she asked her bird friend. "Where in the world is that music coming from?"  
"Those girls are going to make everyone else deaf if they keep this up." Shutting the windows, before rolling her eyes, she explained. "Mayzie lives in the tree across from me. She's a lead singer in the most popular girl group in Nool. She lives in this huge penthouse apartment, and shares it with her seven backup singers. They're Zoe, Scarlet, Skye, Orla, Tia, Jessica, and Evie."  
"What's she like?"  
Gertrude shrugs. "She can be a little obnoxious, but I try not to let it bother me too much. You should see her tail! It's so beautiful, long and colorful. Unlike mine…"  
As Gertrude gestured to her one feathered tail, Demi raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with your tail? I think it's lovely!"  
"Well, it's just so average and plain. I really want to be noticed... especially by Horton."  
That name made Demi stop in her tracks. Was this what she thought it was? "Horton?"  
Gertrude looked at her house guest shyly before whispering. "Well, you see, I have feelings for Horton... romantic ones."  
Demi's eyes grew wide. "Really?"  
Gertrude nodded, looking a tad embarrassed.  
"Have you told him?"  
Gertrude sighed. "No, I'm too afraid to such a bold thing like that."  
"And do you think that having a long feathered tail like Mayzie's will get him to notice you?" Demi asked.  
"That's what I'm hoping." She said simply, looking hopeful. On the other side of the table, Demi wasn't so sure about that.  
"Anyway, would you mind introducing me to Mayzie and the Bird Girls? They seem really interesting!"  
"Sure thing! We could do it first thing tomorrow morning if you'd like."  
The next morning there was a knock on the door. Opening it, Gertrude saw that it was one of the Bird Girls.  
"Hi Gertrude. I wanted to bring over something for your guest, just a small welcome gift."  
Gertrude smiled, giving the girl a hug. "That's so nice of you Tia. Please, come on in, and I'll introduce you to her."  
Demi, who had just woken up, looked up from her morning coffee to see a girl bird standing next to Gertrude, who looked about her age.  
"Hi. It's nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Tia. I'm one of Mayzie's backup singers. Gertrude told me that she had a guest staying with her, so I bought you some apple cake, just a welcome from us girls."  
Demi smiled, standing up from her seat. "It's nice to meet you too, Tia. I'm Demi. How old are you?"  
"23."  
"Really? That's pretty close to my age." Demi was shocked.  
"Wow! What a coincidence." Tia added, sitting down at the table.  
"So, I heard you're in a singing group. Who are the other Bird Girls?" Demi asked  
"There's seven of us. My sister Jessica is 18. Then, there's Evie, the youngest at 16, Orla, who is 25 and the three eldest girls, Skye Zoe and Scarlet, who is Orla's mother."  
Demi smiled. "That's so neat that you all perform together. You must travel all over the place!"  
"We do!" Tia replied. "It's so much fun. If you'd like, I could take you over to the penthouse to meet everyone else. Where are you from?"  
That question made Demi unsure of what to say next. "I come from Whoville."  
Tia's jaw dropped. "Really?"  
Demi nodded. "Could you please not tell anyone else? I really don't want to cause a fuss, especially not to Horton. You can tell the other Bird Girls, but please, no one else."  
The bird stayed silent for a few seconds, still shocked. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with us. But just one thing…how did you get here to Nool?"  
"Umm…" Demi definitely didn't know how to answer this question. "I still have no idea on that. It's kind of complicated at the moment, but I know a creature with magical world traveling powers or something around those lines…"  
Giggling, Tia smiled. "Seems like a wild ride! Well, I'm sure everyone will be delighted to meet you."  
Gertrude nodded. "Let's eat and then we can all go back to the penthouse together."  
"Sounds like a plan to me."  
Twenty minutes later they headed over to the penthouse. Walking through the entrance, Demi couldn't stop gasping. "Wow, this place looks just as big on the inside as it does on the outside!" Demi said, as she looked at all the elaborate paintings on the walls.  
Soon, they passed another bird with an orange boa. She smiled warmly at Demi and Gertrude, after hugging Tia.  
"Hi Zoe!" Gertrude said, waving to her friend.  
"Hello Gertrude. Who is this you have with you? What's your name darlin'?"  
"I'm Demi," Demi whispered, in awe of this bird's beauty.  
"No need to be shy. We're pretty much like a family here."  
"Tia was telling me about how you guys travel all over the place and perform. Do you have any shows coming up?" Demi asked Zoe.  
Zoe nodded. "We have a show coming up in a few days, with a new song of Mayzie's as the highlight. It's going to be huge!"  
"I thought I heard loud music coming from here last night. That wasn't a performance of yours?" Gertrude asked.  
"Mayzie had another party last night." Sighing, Tia gestured across the large space, which was covered in streamers, cups and other remains from what seemed like an interesting night. "She had invited some guys from over the mountain, but then the word got out and everything went crazy. Please excuse the bombsight. We're still cleaning up; that's how insane it got."  
"Do you need any help?"  
Zoe shook her head. "No. You can just relax. The girl who really needs to be here is Mayzie herself."  
"You mean Mayzie isn't here?" Gertrude's eyes grew wide with surprise. "Where is she?"  
"If we knew, we wouldn't be dealing with this, would we?!" Zoe looked irritated, gripping her broom tightly.  
Tia moved over to Demi. "We have a hunch that she's gone off to Fort Worth, with her new boyfriend she hooked up with last night. Who knows when she'll be back…?"  
Demi's jaw dropped "Shouldn't she stay here and help you guys clean up, and get ready for your big performance?"  
Another bird girl poked her head around the corner of one of the bedrooms, before answering Demi's question. "One thing you should know about Mayzie is that she's not very responsible. We're surprised she can even keep our performance schedule straight."  
Tia smiled. "This is my sister Jessica. She's 18."  
"But we have nothing really to worry about. Mayzie would never miss an opportunity to go out and perform," Jessica reassured them. "What brings you to Nool?"  
"I come from Whoville."  
"Really?" Jessica gasped, before Demi nodded softly.  
Tia nodded. "I know! Isn't it amazing? But I promised Demi to not tell anyone else but us girls, so no blabbing this to anyone else. The same goes for the other girls. Okay?"  
Zoe and Jessica nodded. "Wow, it's is so crazy, finding out about another world, thinking it wasn't real and then meeting one of their kind in the course of two weeks…" Jessica sighed. "I guess there is life on that dust speck after all."  
"Ooh that dust speck." two other bird girls chorused.  
Zoe smiled. "These two are Scarlet and Skye. Scarlet's daughter Orla shares a room at the end of the hall with Evie. I'm sure you'll meet them soon."  
"It's so nice to meet all of you." Demi told the girls, before Scarlet came over to her.  
"Pleasure's all ours." Scarlet smiled warmly.  
Gertrude went back over to Demi. "I should probably go back to Horton's to see if your friend is okay. You should stay here; have some fun with the girls."  
"But what about-"  
"If she's worse, then I'll let you know straight away. If she wanted you to come here, she would have wanted you to have fun. I'm sure these girls can help with you with your acting dream" Gertrude hugged Demi, seeing she was worried. "Besides, her recovery will be quicker with lots of rest. Horton told us she'd be fine with him. You can come back to my place whenever you want to."  
Nodding, Gertrude waved goodbye to the girls and left the penthouse, to when Zoe took her through their home. "Now that you've met me, do you think he'll be given less of hard time for talking to the clover?" Demi asked.  
"Yes, hopefully with help from the two of you we'll be able to prove to the other jungle creatures that Whoville does in fact exist. I think between the nine of us we can work something out. In the meantime, how would you like to watch us rehearse?" Skye asked Demi, who was nearly jumping out of her skin with joy. The group smiled, as they headed to back of the house, to where all the performance magic happened.


	4. Kirsty Meets The Wickershams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My fanfiction.net cohort Sophie did a fantastic writing the Wickersham Brothers! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wickersham character names  
> Ethan Boucher- Zac  
> Ben Wesenberg; Hugo  
> Matt Katiaganis Louie  
> Sophia Alton- Rebecca

"Please, if you get any news about Jojo, be sure to let me know! Thank you, Mrs Mayor. I'll talk to you soon!"  
Finishing his conversation with the Whos, Horton gently placed the fluffy pink clover back near his bed. Despite some political advances, life in Whoville still wasn't improving, the war still no close to being resolved. In fact, the conflict had further developed and the risk of more recruitment had increased. The whole idea of the Butter Battle confused Horton; what was the need for something that destructive in a place that was supposedly heaven? But then again, even heaven could have problems.  
Jojo was still at the military academy, but Mr. and Mrs. Mayor assured the elephant that he would be fine. They had been promised that by General Schmitz himself, and that the academy was the second chance they all needed, but Horton couldn't shake off the feeling that Jojo was suffering without his Thinks, and that that school was changing him, not necessarily for the better. But what could he do up here, when his friend really needed him down there?  
Horton moved his attention to the tall, thin body that lay on his spare bed, the girl asleep and breathing slowly. He had been looking after her for the past three days, after finding her and a Who, Demi, one afternoon in the jungle. The condition she was in when he first laid eyes on her wasn't at all natural, but she had seemed to improve, beginning to sleep easy. She had yet to wake up as yet, but that was another matter.  
A collection of light coughing and rustling of the sheets made Horton's ears prick, immediately moving silently over to Kirsty. Eyes fluttering slowly, a bright haze of colour all she could see, she began to regain consciousness. Her head still felt dizzy and she struggled to form words. "W-where…"  
"It's okay," he hushed, making sure she didn't attempt to sit up just yet. "You're safe now."  
Even though her mind was tossed, Kirsty seemed to understand. "Demi-"  
"She's fine. She's with Gertrude. I'll bring her over in a little while." Horton put his trunk against her head. "For now, don't push yourself. Do you want some water? You should try and drink something, if you want to get better."  
"Okay…" Taking the small glass, she took a few sips of the water, her vision improving slightly from the intake of fluids. She shut her eyes again, the sun blinding her, but she managed to sit up, continuing to sip the water. "Who…who are you?"  
Horton was confused by her question, but figured that she must have been in a rough mind state when they first met. "I'm Horton. Horton the Elephant. Would you like a little something to-" He stopped, as Kirsty's eyes flashed fully open.  
Her head turned to the elephant, her breathing increasing in speed. No. This isn't Horton. He's nothing like you. What have you done with him?! She kept shaking her head, trying to Think a way out of this.  
"Hey, are you okay?" When he went to touch her, she immediately moved away. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. You can trust me." He managed to get a hold of her wrist with his trunk, rubbing it slightly, to try and comfort her.  
Unfortunately, his efforts were short lived. "Let me go! I don't know you! Leave me alone!" Kirsty recoiled from his hold, her eyes filled with distress, and ran out of his hut without saying a word. Even though her mind wasn't fully connected with her body, she kept running, trying to escape the mess she had landed herself into. She didn't look back, not even for a second, or stop to rest, even though her legs were sore and her bare feet hurt.  
Racing through the whole jungle, everything looked vaguely simular, but completely different to the Nool that she had learnt to know. Please…I need to find a way out of here…please… No matter how hard she looked, nothing was what she remembered and the more frightened and anxious she became. After what seemed like hours, she gave in, stopping next to a large fern.  
"Why…" That was all she could say, as she desperately tried to Think a way back to the worlds she remembered, the ones she had learned to embrace, with the people she knew and gained a friendship with. Nothing could to mind though, only how out of place she felt, and how much every little detail was making her head spin. She desperately tried to find something to grab onto something to keep balanced, still not fully recovered, but froze, when her hand touched something furry.  
"Hey, looks like a little mouse lost its way…"  
That voice was unfamiliar to Kirsty, but as she turned around, she quickly discovered who it belonged to. "You looking for something in particular? Or someone?" Two young monkeys stood in front of her, dressed in _, like gangsters. The one who had spoken started to move towards her, which caused Kirsty to step back.  
Shaking her head, she tried to stay sure and confident. "No, I'm fine. I'm just-"  
"You don't seem familiar. Are you new around here?" the other monkey interrupted, leaning in close to her. Kirsty tried to move, but her feet were seemingly glued to the ground. "How about we give you a little tour of the jungle? What do you think, Hugo?"  
"No thank you. Please, if you would just let me through, I'll be on my way." Trying to keep her eyes away from them, she stepped past them, but before she could escape, another monkey blocked her path.  
This monkey gave her a sly smirk. "Why the huge rush? You go somewhere to be? If you're looking for fun, we're the best place to be."  
Kirsty was becoming extremely uncomfortable. By now, she had guessed that these were the Wickersham brothers. She hadn't met them in person in her version of Seuss, but these versions of the monkeys seemed much more intimidating. "Leave me alone, please!"  
"Told you, Zac. Your smile scares all the girls," a small female monkey said, dangling off one of the braches, which she was holding onto with her tail.  
The monkey who had blocked her path, who she assumed was called Zac, glared at the female monkey. "At least I try to smile, Rebecca . Still, I think they're cuter when they're scared."  
At that moment, another small female monkey came into view, pushing Hugo and the other brother aside. "Feel free to ignore him. I'm Darcey. These three are Hugo, Louie and Zac. And over there is Rebecca. What about you? You have a name? How old are you, anyway?"  
"Come on, girl. We're not scary," Louie smiled, his tail weaving itself around her arm. "You look a little hungry. We should take you for a bite to eat. If you're lucky, my brothers won't decide to have you for dessert! What do you say to that?"  
"Well, I guess it's time for me to intervene…"  
Everyone in the small clearing suddenly became alert, their eyes flashing everywhere to find out where that slightly snide yet childlike voice was coming from. Kirsty whirled around, who didn't at all recognise it, suddenly heard the same whimsical voice flashed through her Thinks.  
When I give the signal, jump. Just jump. And don't look down. Don't worry, you won't miss it.  
Just as quickly as it had appeared, the voice vanished from her mind. Before she could even wonder what it meant, a cloud of red smoke exploded right near where the Wickershams were standing. On cue, Kirsty jumped and a white gloved hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed her, just before a sharp, wind-like force surrounded her, pulling the teenager upwards.  
Quickly after, the wind subsided; Kirsty was hurled back onto the hard jungle earth, smacking her head against the ground. She gasped for air for a moment, her eyes focused on the clear patched of sky above her, only a few swirly clouds scattered across it.  
"You okay, kiddo?"  
She shot up, upon the troublesome voice's return. Her eyes darted across the section of the jungle, before they finally landed on the voice's owner.  
"Sorry about all that…I tend to get a bit carried away when I'm having fun. Also, don't worry about those monkeys. They'll be fine. They weren't going to hurt you, they were probably bored and looking for someone to trick. Wrong places, wrong times, that's all it was." After fixing his attire, he turned quickly on his heel to face the girl, whose face was currently white with fright.  
Standing before her was a cat, slightly shorter than her and dressed in a striped top hat, white gloves and a jaunty red bow tie. His eyes sparkled with a youthful mischief, together with a sly yet playful grin finishing off his mixed yet somehow suiting appearance.  
As to be expected, the cat managed to close the momentary silence, going over to the girl and pulling her up. "Now, who do we have here?" Circling her, he viewed her over, occasionally frowning, making Kirsty silently wish that she had at least changed out of her dirty clothes before running off. I must look like a right mess! He'd think I'm some sort of wild animal, especially when I'm this terrible of a state.  
"Hmm…" He pondered his thoughts for a second, before turning back to face her. "Interesting…I don't believe we have met yet. Who do I have the pleasure?" As he asked the question, his face softened, seeing the girl was still uncomfortable at his presence. "-But of course, names are just labels! What matters is on the inside, isn't it?" he added, moving away from the question. "Or in my case," Tapping his head lightly, he continued. "Up here. "  
"How did you do that?"  
The feline turned, to see that Kirsty was looking his way. "Thinking is a mystical act, kid. The results are as broad as you let them," he said simply. "I'll just leave that to you, shall I?" Suddenly, his head twitched, as if snapping to attention. "Oh dear, I seemed to have forgotten my manners. I am the Cat, the Cat in the Hat. And there is absolutely, positively, no doubt about that!" he announced, tipping his hat to her.  
"The Cat…" Somehow, she felt that this wasn't the first time someone had introduced themselves by that name.  
After a moment of staring off into nothing, her daze was broken by a face meeting hers. "Yes? Something the matter?"  
Quickly, she shook her head, moving a little away. "Oh…that name, I feel like I've heard it before. But that's impossible, we have never met. You even said that yourself."  
"Impossible? That's a strange word for a Thinker to say?" the Cat asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.  
Kirsty's eyes widened slightly. "How did you-"  
"I could tell, from that moment you ran passed me, that you were a Thinker," he cut in, nodding. "Still developing, but a Thinker none the less, with a lot of potential. I'm surprised we've never crossed paths." Kirsty managed a small smile, which vanish on the Cat's following remark. "However, there was one major thing I noticed about your Thinks. They seem awfully crowded." His voice softened, becoming serious. "Looks like you have a lot of unanswered question, some that may not be entirely yours to solve."  
"You have no idea," she sighed, before doing a double take. "What? I-I mean… Never mind, it-it's…it's nothing…"  
The Cat shook his head "Everything is something, especially when it involves a Thinker." Those words came out so wisely, making Kirsty trust him just that fraction more. "Come on, I may be able to help. I'm always in the mood for a good story!" He sat down on a large log, a large smile appearing on his face.  
"I-"  
He put a finger to his lip, silencing her protest, before speaking in a kind tone. "One thing people don't know about me; I'm actually a really good listener." Patting the space beside him, he motioned for her to sit beside him. It took a bit of silent convincing, but she ended up slowly sitting down on the edge of the log.  
"There are these people I know. We haven't known each other for very long, but it feels as if we have. Lately, my life's taken a hectic turn on its head…I mean, it was pretty crazy before that, but this was completely, impossibly unexpected. Everything was different, but I felt that whatever happened, they would still be the same, as they had been through all the crazy things which had happened before that. But when I found them, they were completely different to how I remembered them." Her voice softened and slowed the further she got through her story, the Cat silently listening in.  
After taking a moment to think, the Cat shrugged. "Change is natural. Good or bad, it does happen for a reason. If your friends are as good as they sound, then that doesn't matter. Everyone has their days, when they just need to try something different or just let everything go. No doubt, these 'crazy days' have affected them as well. You just need to give them some time, and some understanding." He gave her a small smile, before placing a paw on her shoulder. "More likely than not, you'll be changing too. These things just need some time, and even though things may not seem like they are going anywhere, trust me when I say this; they are. You just need to trust the changes, whatever may become of them."  
Kirsty returned the smile, the two sharing a quiet moment together, which was broken when the Cat muttered. "Good Geisel, what on earth happened there? I sound like some sort of crazy preacher!" A shiver going down his spine, he heard a soft laugh, his head whipping around to see the girl putting a hand to her mouth, as if she was trying to cover the small smile now present on her face.  
"So, the creature can smile, eh?" he said, laughing, before he jumped up. "Now, where to? There's so much we can do, so little time!" His face had lighted up, bouncing around the clearing like a small child at Christmas time. "If you want something really exciting, the island of Katroo might be right up your alley. Or the mountains of Zumms, they're beautiful at this time of year. Oh, I know! We could-"  
"I'm sorry, but I can't," she cut in, a feeling of guilt filling her upon seeing his overjoyed face turn into one of gloom. It didn't at all suit him, and for that short second, it was as if some of the brightness and colour had been sucked out the world around her. "I really need to try and go back to Horton. I owe him an apology for how I acted towards him this morning, and for scaring him by running off." Her voice remained quiet, those cruel words she had yelled to him circling rapidly around her brain.  
The feline nodded his reaction much different from what Kirsty had pictured. "Friend's with the elephant, huh?"  
"It's complicated…more like acquaintances, at the moment," she simply said, not knowing how else to describe her situation without revealing her 'parallel world' fiasco.  
"Well, the least I can do is show you the way there," the Cat offered. "And don't worry, we'll be walking. It's only a little way's south of here." For the short journey back to Horton's, the two didn't speak to each other, save for the Cat's musical whistling. When they were only a metre or so away, he stopped, insisting that she could make the remainder of the journey on her own. Tipping his hat, he turned on his heel, walking away in the opposite direction.  
"Mr Cat?"  
He turned back to Kirsty, who hadn't moved from where he had left her. "Perhaps one day you could show me those wonderful things you were talking about?"  
"I would love to, kid. Just Think and I'll be there in a wink. Or make a wish! That usually works!"  
"By the way, it's Kirsty. Just Kirsty."  
"Well, Kirsty, it was a pleasure meeting you." With that, he disappeared, leaving Kirsty alone, with the light tune of the jungle replacing the silence. Taking one last look across the jungle, she went back to Horton's house.  
As she quietly came into view, she saw Gertrude. The moment the two locked eyes with each other, the bird ran up to the girl. "Oh, thank goodness! We've been searching everywhere for you!" Gertrude gasped, putting an arm on the girl's shoulder. "You look freezing! Come on, let's get you inside."  
When the two were in the house, she could see Horton, looking frantic and anxiously muttering to himself. "This is all my fault! She could be anywhere by now. I should have been more understanding to her situation. If anything happens to her, I'll be the one to blame. I-" Upon hearing footsteps, he turned toward the door and his eyes landed straight on Kirsty.  
"You tried your best with a hopeless case, and it was the best anyone could ever do," she told him, moving over to the elephant. "I was scared, and confused, and afraid to trust change, including you. But I'm going to try, and I hope you'll help me."  
"Of course I will, Kirsty." Horton put his trunk out to her and after slight hesitation, she took it and he wrapped her in an embrace.  
Gertrude watched on, her face glowing with happiness. "Now, we should get you tidied up, and then we can take you over to see Demi. She'll be so happy to see you!"


	5. Kirsty Meets The Bird Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gertrude introduces Kirsty to the Bird Girls!

Kirsty Meets The Bird Girls  
An Actress's Dream Chapter 5

 

Once Kirsty was in dry clothes and had drunk a cup of hot tea Gertrude took her back to the penthouse. "Demi has been spending time hanging out with the Bird Girls this afternoon. They'll all be excited to meet you, and I'm sure Demi will be happy to see you well," Gertrude told her, smiling.

"I hope they're a lot nicer than those monkeys I met earlier. They scared me a little."

"They're quite harmless once you get to know them. Hugo and Louie are actually really good friends of mine."

As they were close to their destination, Kirsty's eyes widened. "This house sure is a lot bigger than yours Gertrude... it's two stories!"

"Mayzie lives here too. She's out of town right now but hopefully you'll meet her eventually."

"Where did she go?"

"To Fort Worth with someone she met at the party they had last night."

Kirsty's jaw dropped. "She went away with a boy she just met?"

"One you thing you should know about Mayzie is that she has devil may care attitude about things. She goes away on these short vacations a lot. She meets many interesting people along the way based on what the other girls have told me."

When Gertrude tapped on the door Jessica opened it.

"Hi Gertrude! Who's this?"

"This is Horton's friend Kirsty."

"Is she a Who too?"

Gertrude turned to Kirsty, who looked slightly uncomfortable. "Uhh…You could say that…I'm living with Mr. and Mrs. Mayor for a little while," she whispered.

"No need to be shy! Come on in! We just finished showing Demi our recording studio and now we're having some lunch."

The rest of the Bird Girls and Demi were sitting around a large oak dining room table when Gertrude and Kirsty were shown in.

"Kirsty, I was so worried!! Where were you? Are you okay?" Demi got up from the table and embraced her friend immediately, almost choking her from her tight grip.

Kirsty smiled, as Demi loosened her hold. "I'll be fine. I got lost in the jungle a little while ago, after running away from Horton. Long story….anyway, I somehow ran into the Wickersham Brothers. Actually there were two girl Wickershams too, which I didn't expect. They were a little bit scary, but I was told that that's just them."

Evie smiled. "Don't worry about them. They don't mean to be so mysterious. They're actually really fun to be around."

"Come join us. We're about to have some chili and baked beans," said Skye.

Gertrude and Kirsty took a seat at the table, just as Jessica started to ask some questions. "So, you're from Whoville like Demi right? How on earth did you get from there to Nool? How did you do it?"

Demi and Kirsty exchanged a look. "Should I have said that?" Demi mouthed, seeing Kirsty's nervous expression.

The others could see it too, Tia breaking the silence. "It's okay! You don't have to tell us. Only if you feel comfortable."

Kirsty sighed deeply. "It's not that I don't feel comfortable; it's that I don't really know much about it all, to be honest." Taking a deep breath in, she clarified. "Well, you know how Jojo gets in trouble a lot for thinking outlandish things?"

"Yes…" Scarlet looked suspicious.

"Well I'm kinda like him. A Thinker, but a bit less powerful. Just a few days ago, I discovered a way to be able to travel to and from Whoville just by Thinking. I haven't completely mastered it yet, nor do I know how I got this ability, so that's really all I can tell you."

"So do you mean to tell us that you have like magical powers?" Orla asked.

Kirsty shrugged. "Not exactly, but I guess that's another way of putting it."

There was complete and utter silence, making Kirsty want to just reverse time and not say anything at all. The bird girls were utterly shocked hearing what they had just heard, all glancing to Demi.

"So, is this want you mean when you said that she transported you to Nool?" Tia asked her, Demi nodding in reply.

"Wow, that is so neat!!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Wait til Mayzie hears all about this!" Evie said to Skye.

Across the table, Kirsty tried to calm them down. "Please, I would rather keep this between us. I want to keep this private, if that is alright with you…"

"Of course," Zoe replied. "This is our secret, and we'll keep it between us. Right, girls?" All across the table nodded, which mad Kirsty much more comfortable.

"Going back to Mayzie, when is she coming back by the way?" Gertrude asked.

Scarlet shrugged. "We don't know. Soon we're hoping. We're supposed to go on tour in one month and we need to prepare! This show isn't going to make itself I hope she realizes!"

Demi smiled at Kirsty, trying to contain her ecstasy. "Kirsty, their recording studio is so neat! All the equipment is so brilliant; I even got to have a sing with them! They told me all about where they're going to go on their tour too."

"How long will you be gone on your tour?" Gertrude asked.

"Around about four months. We're leaving in June and coming back in the middle of October," Tia replied.

"We go all around the world!" Skye said. "California, London, Rio, Tokyo, Melbourne-"

Kirsty's eyes flashed up. "Melbourne? I thought that you couldn't travel between the human world to Nool…"

"Of course we can!" Jessica grinned. "That's where half our fan base is! We don't get to go there all the time…universal restriction or something like that. It's all way too far over our heads. The only one who knows about all that stuff is the Cat."

"The Cat? He knows about world travelling?"

Unfortunately, her question went unanswered, as Tia got out her notebook. "Now that you two are here, it's the perfect time to get started. We're all working on a plan to prove to the other jungle creatures that the Whos really do exist! Hopefully you and Demi can help us, since you guys are actually Whos. If we get other people to believe us, we hope that the Whos and Jungle Creature can all live in Nool together."

Zoe nodded in agreement. "Horton's been going through such a terrible time. Everyone has been laughing at him because he talks to the clover. And it would be so much better for the Who somewhere much more stable than the clover, and away from the war they're fighting."

"Do you think the Butter Battle will ever be over?" Orla looked to Demi.

"One can only hope," she replied. "I really miss my cousins. I want them to come home so badly." Skye moved over to her friend and gave her a hug of support.

"You know what?" Scarlet announced. "You guys should come with us for a section of our tour!"

Demi couldn't believe her ears. "Are you serious? You'd let us come with you guys!"

Scarlet nodded. "Of course! We'd love it if you came. The more the merrier!"

"Are you sure Mayzie won't mind?"

Evie smiled. "No, not at all. The seven of us are pretty much like family. We want to get to know you better so can become part of our group."

Zoe wrapped her arm around her. "You and Kirsty are considered members of our family now... even though you live in Whoville."

Demi smiled. "Thank you so much, though I'll have to check with my aunt and uncle first. I'm sure they'd let me go but it's just right now I am the only family that they have safe, since my cousin got drafted into the academy."

Kirsty looked at her friend. "Do you think they'll be home soon?"

Demi shrugged. "I sure hope so. They sent us a letter during the holidays saying they'd be home after Christmas. It's March 20th now, and from what Mr. Mayor said at the recent town meeting they're slowly transitioning the soldiers out of the war zone."

"What about you, Kirsty? What do you reckon?" Zoe asked Kirsty, who shrugged.

"I'll have to think about that," she answered, before the group drifted back into separate conversation, acting like age old friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was edited my collaborator Sophie on August 19th.


	6. Consequences and Curiosities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter the scene with Horton's trial is incorporated into a dream sequence.

"Silence in my courtroom! Everyone remain seated!"  
The central area of the jungle is filled with hundreds of jungle animals, majority of them standing and shouting, arguing about a detail which has been brought up by the defendant. Just at that moment, a bang silences the crowds.  
"ORDER! ORDER I SAY!"  
The yells shrink into smaller whispers, all the room sitting and under control. The bailiff stands, continuing on with the case. "Now, if the defendant doesn't have any more witness' to bring to the stand with any substantial evidence, then I will proceed to-"  
"Your honor, I believe I have two more vital pieces of evidence to present to you all, which will definitely prove to you of my beliefs."  
All heads whip to the side of room, where Horton is in a cage, sitting in a nest placed on a small tree. Held tightly by his trunk is the familiar clover, drooping and hopeless. "One thing that you may not be aware of is that here today, sitting here in this courtroom, are in fact two residents of Whoville."  
The crowd gasps, while the judge looks skeptical, fixing his glasses. "I will believe that when I see the evidence. If you statement is indeed true, would you please bring your first 'resident' to the stand?"  
A girl stands up, dressed very differently from those who were sitting in the courtroom, and moves over to the witness stand, confident even though her legs are lightly shaking. "Your honor, my name is Demi, and I have lived on Who my whole life. Whoville is a very tight knit community, especially in this particular time with the war my people are currently facing. My cousins Jeff and Winona have been enrolled in a military academy, so my family is constantly worrying about them." Her eyes move to the judge, a pleading look in her eyes. "To have our planet completely destroyed would be devastating to say the least. Horton has been such a help to our society, and he will never let us down. We trust him with everything, and I trust him with my life."  
"Thank you for your statement, Miss Demi," the Judge says, clearing his throat before the bailiff passes up a new sheet of paper. "Now, would the second resident please come to the stand…?"  
Confused, the person in question doesn't move, Gertrude eventually forced to push the teenager into the centre of the room. "Your name is Kirsty, is that correct? Last name?" the bailiff asks her, now in control of the room.  
Unlike Demi, Kirsty's nerves were definitely seen, her whole body vibrating under the pressure. "Just Kirsty, y-your honour…" She turns back to Demi, Gertrude and The Bird Girls, who smile at her, motioning for her to continue. "I also-"  
"I will tell you what and when to speak," the bailiff rudely interrupts. "It says in these records that you are a witness to these events, but I will get to that in a moment. For now, there are more important matters that must be addressed. Do you in fact have any right to be called a witness? Are you not in fact culpable yourself?"  
Kirsty steps back a few steps, not entirely sure of his question. "I'm sorry, sir, but can't say I understand."  
The bailiff chuckles, before a smug smirk appears on his face. "Why don't we discuss your crime, Miss Kirsty? If that is even who you really are…"  
~  
A collecting amount of crashing interrupted Kirsty's short lived slumber, the girl somehow managing to fall asleep despite the loud music coming from inside the penthouse. Lately, she had been suffering dramatic swings in her body's stability, once feeling like she could collapse at any moment, which she suspected to be side effects from the infamous world traveling attempt with Demi in tow over a week ago. She had managed to keep it under wraps, until the hour Zoe and Demi decided that Kirsty needed a night out, forcing her to come to the Bird Girl's party that night.  
"Kirsty! You're here!" When she turned, she could see Gertrude hobbling towards her, exhausted, her now metre-long tail trailing behind her. "The boys got distracted, so somehow I got stuck with being the waiter. Anyway, why are you sitting out here? You should be inside!"  
"I only arrived about five minutes ago," Kirsty explained. "I just had to check on something, but it took a little longer than I expected."  
Gertrude gasped, her eyes moving to Kirsty's attire. "You look beautiful." This remark caused the teenager to look herself over for what must have been the sixteenth time that evening. Her outfit, which was one of the multiple choices the Bird Girls had given her, was a high waisted ice blue shaded dress with a long skirt, white lace top half and long, delicate sleaves going down to her wrists. The dress wasn't something Kirsty was used to, the formality of the ensemble causing her to feel overwhelmingly uneasy, which escalated with every comment and stare, so much so she had spent the last half hour trying to get her hands on the biggest jacket she could find. "Gosh, you're white as a sheet! Is everything okay?"  
Despite nodding in response, Gertrude still had a look about her which implied she knew she was lying. "Just a headache. Nothing serious. I'll be fine…"  
"If you're sure…" Quickly, the frown upon the bird's face transformed into a kind smile."You should come inside, after all, the dancing's about to start!"  
Swiftly, Gertrude took Kirsty into the penthouse, now glittering and glimmering with flashy lights, a massive disco ball shimmering overhead. As they tried to dodge the crowd, Kirsty tried to get back Gertrude's attention. "Uhh, Gertrude…I don't believe that is the best idea. You see, I-"  
"Demi! I found her!"  
Snapping into action, Kirsty quickly fixed herself up, as to not let slip her unpunctuality. "Hi Kirsty! Isn't this party spectacular?" Demi called out, dressed to impress in a salmon coloured knee length 50's inspired dress, with a beautiful pink shaded tulle skirt and matching jacket. "I'm so glad Gertrude found you. The girls are just about to start performing! You should come-"  
"Demi," Kirsty interrupted, her eyes darting across the room in anxiety. "Demi…there is something I need to tell you. I-…I've never been to a party before…"  
Instead of shrieking out in disbelief, Demi's voice grew to a whisper. "You very first party ever?! Are you serious? No birthday bash, New Year's, family get-together… Not even a funeral?" When she saw Kirsty shake her head, instead of requesting more information, she simply smiled. "That's okay. How about I get us both a drink?"  
As her friend disappeared into the crowd, Kirsty realized that Gertrude had also disappeared, leaving her alone in a crowd of unknown people. It was a struggle to stay standing up, all around her dancing and jumping about wildly to the bass pumping pop music blasting around the two story house. Not at all comfortable, she stepped a few steps backwards, someone spun into her way, Kirsty now being pushed through the crowd. Just as she was about to trip over her heels- it was her first public appearance in the shoe type, and already she was desperately failing-she was pulled up for a second. Almost on cue, her heel broke, causing her to gain a deep blow to the head from the fall. Letting out a low groan, and a silent plea that her embarrassment would be over, she stepped back up, her own blue eyes met one black and white furry face.  
"Well, isn't this an interesting development…"  
Laughing, the Cat picked up her now broken heel, looking it over. "I wouldn't worry about the shoe. It didn't suit the outfit anyway." The feline laughed harder, seeing Kirsty's odd expression, as he continued. "Ah, Kirsty… I didn't recognise you for a second. I was wondering when we would cross paths again."  
"Hello, Cat. I didn't expect to see you here," the teenager told him, taking the broken shoe from his gloved hands.  
The Cat shrugged, in a typical cat-like fashion. "Neither did I. Don't get me wrong… I mean, I love a good rave. Though, on this occasion, I took the invite for security reasons. Something's up, and I just can't put a finger on it. Been like this for a while…" As he spoke, he constantly kept eying Kirsty, which made the girl wonder if he suspected that she was the cause for the abnormality. "Never mind that. Waay too boring and complicated…especially when I sense an incoming Think!"  
"What do you-" Kirsty began to ask, before sighing, seeing the Cat giving her one of his trademark smirks, eager to know more. "Actually, I have been meaning to ask you a question. You did tell me that you know of many marvellous places, and while they all seem wonderful, at the moment, I was more interested in how exactly you can get to these places. To be more specific, Mr Cat…" Her voiced hushed, not wanting anyone else to hear this now private conversation. "What do you know about world traveling?"  
In a moment of thought, the Cat grew serious. "Now, why would a girl like you be interested in things like that?"  
"I was just curious…if one wanted to know more about this particular subject, where would one find such information?"  
Without another word, and after a moment of complete silence from the two, the Cat gently took her hand, leading her up the stairs. Soon after, they arrive at the courtyard gardens, the cool and quiet air of the jungle giving Kirsty relief. "I had a hunch this whole time, you know," the Cat told, cutting through the stillness. "Now, hold tight!"  
Clicking his fingers, the Cat gripped her arm tight. Kirsty was forced to shut her eyes, the area around them abruptly changing from the natural greenery of the jungle to what could be classified as a museum, shelves of books and artefacts higher than she could see. "Welcome to the Emporium, the home of all stories, legends and memories that ever were or ever will, from every world, planet or multiverse of Seuss and every single creature who ever graced its pages."  
Kirsty was just about to agree, before she froze, lightly swaying side to side. "Oh, just be careful. You may experience some slight side effects. Don't hold it in; it'll only make it worse." Gliding across the polished floors, the Cat hummed an oddly familiar tune as he searched for something. "I know that it is around here somewhere…Aha! Here we are!" Out from the shelves, he pulled out a fat, yet tiny book, before sliding down the ladder back to ground level. "This should do it. All the tips, tricks and inside trivia about world travelling, as we shall call it." Holding the book out to her, all seemed fine, until sharply, he pulled it back, a serious expression growing on his face.  
"Not so fast."  
The room grew dark, reflecting the feline's now stern and intense temperature. "Before I give this to you, I want to know why you want to know about this. The truth this time. I already knew that you're from Whoville, so there's no point repeating that again."  
"You knew all along I wasn't from Nool?" Kirsty murmured, her cover blown.  
Chuckling, the Cat shook his head. "As if it was hard to guess." He leaned in close to the teenager, the harsh glare that he once donned now lightened, trying to ease her nerves. "Look, kid, I am only able to help you if you are fully honest with me. You don't have to tell me your whole life story; you just need to stop hiding the relevant and crucial stuff. Teenagers like yourself just don't come to this world for no reason."  
"I just need to set things right, that's all. Get my friend back home, and then I might be able to get back to my own world."  
"Own world? Tell me, what other crazy stuff are you hiding under that seemingly normal appearance?"  
"Trust me; you would never believe a second of my story if I told you. Besides, it would take a lifetime to explain-"  
Eyebrows raised, Kirsty suddenly noticed that the Cat was no longer standing in front of her. As three light taps rung through the empty space, her head whipped around to see the Cat suddenly sitting in an armchair, teacup in hand. On his face was a smile of excitement, and utmost curiousity.  
"Good thing I'm always up for a fascinating story…"  
~  
By the time Orla managed to collapse into the nearest couch she could find, it was well near twelve, all of the party guests long gone. Kicking off her shoes, she let out a much needed sigh of relief. "What a night! I haven't partied that hard in a long while…"  
"Tell me about it," Jessica added, sitting down beside her. "My feet are aching from all the hard core dancing."  
Zoe laughed, as she came into the living room with Demi, both girls carrying glasses of cold water. "Speaking of dancing, did you girls see Demi? She was tearing up the dance floor!"  
Shaking her head, Demi clarified. "Thanks, Zoe, but I wasn't that good." A smile appeared on Demi's face as she saw Zoe mouthing the word 'denial' to the others.  
"You are an awesome performer, Demi. You just need to have a bit more faith in yourself!" Skye told her friend. "Quit being so hard on yourself!"  
As the rest of the Bird Girls nodded in agreement, Gertrude noticed something. "Hey, have any of you girls seen Kirsty?" Gertrude asked, after taking a drink from Zoe. "I haven't seen her since I left her with you, Demi."  
"Hmm…" Orla wondered, deep in thought. "Now that you mention it, I think I saw her with some guy earlier."  
The one mention of a boy made Evie strike to attention, desperate to know more. "Really?! What did he look like? Do we know him? Did he have good fashion sense?"  
"Gosh, Evie! Calm down!" Slightly scared, Tia sat Evie back down. "What is it with you and boys?"  
Laughing, Orla continued with her story. "He did seem a little familiar, though I only saw them together for a second. They were walking out to the courtyard just before the main number."  
Seeing Demi's worried expression, Scarlet sat down next to her. "Don't worry Demi. I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a smart girl. She probably went back to Gertrude's or Horton's house early."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Demi thanked her friend, before taking a sip of water. "She hasn't been well lately, and I just want to make sure that she doesn't get worse."  
The conversation was interrupted by a loud knock at the door, Evie quickly getting up from her seat to answer it. "Speak of the devil! I bet that this is her right now, Demi! Trust-" Gertrude tried to reassure Demi, but she was interrupted by the worried voice of Evie, and as they all went to the door, the sight that lay before them.  
"Mayzie? Is that…yours?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love a good cliffhanger? Stay tuned to Chapter 7 to see what happens next :)


	7. A Shock To  Their Systems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mayzie drops a bombshell announcement stating that she is pregnant and has to leave tour? Will a suggestion from Gertrude save everything?

The other bird girls and Demi looked at each other with confusion, all eyes going down to the egg that Mayzie held in her arms. None of them knew what to say, or where to start with the questions.  
"Hello girls. I'm home," Mayzie whispered, sheepishly.  
Tia tried to hold in her anger, breaking the silence. "And what sort of time do you call this? Where in the world have you been?"  
"Never mind that!" Zoe interjected. "Please, for the love of Nool…please tell me that isn't yours, Mayzie…"  
"We can ask all the questions later," Skye told them, pushing her fellow backup singers out of the way, before leading her attention to Mayzie. "Here, let me help you get inside. Jessica, would you take her bags upstairs, please? Demi and Orla, you girls can help Mayzie put the egg somewhere safe. And Evie, fetch us a few glasses of water as well, please!"  
As everyone split, Orla and Demi helped a very tired Mayzie up the stairs to her room, carefully taking the delicate egg out of her arms.  
"So, have you come up with a name for it yet?"  
Mayzie suddenly snapped to attention, not recognizing Demi's voice. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"  
"I'm Demi, a friend of Gertrude and Zoe's ," Demi told her, putting her hand out to the bird. "I've heard a lot about you, Mayzie, and I am so glad I could finally meet you."  
Letting out a small smile, Mayzie sighed. "It's very nice to meet you, Demi. I just wish it was under better circumstances." After looking back at her new egg for a few moments, the conversation moved. "You don't look like you're from around here?"  
Demi looked at the floor shyly. "I'm actually from Whoville."  
"The clover?" Mayzie's eyes grew wide. " Are you serious?"  
"Come on, Mayz," Orla smiled. "We'll bring up to speed in no time." Soon, all the girls re-joined in the living room, ready to get everything sorted.  
"Okay, the most important question first," Skye said, taking charge. "Mayzie, is the egg yours? Yes or no?"  
"…Yes."  
All the girls sighed. "Let me guess, this is Tweet's doing, isn't it? He is the biggest-" Jessica was stopped by Orla giving her a slight nudge in the stomach.  
Zoe looked at Mayzie a little perturbed. "Do you realize what kind of added stress this baby puts on us? What were you thinking?"  
Mayzie shrugged. "I'm sorry girls. I thought that Tweet would at least help me with it, but it turns out all he wanted was a one off fling. When he saw the egg, he dashed off back to San Juan."  
"But…what about the tour?" Evie asked, beginning to become stressed.  
"The tour will go ahead as planned," Mayzie told her, her voice slightly shaky " I'll just find someone to look after the baby while we're gone. I bet the Annabelle, Victoria, Rose, Stella and the other young jungle animals would love to baby sit."  
Gertrude sighed. "The jungle is in complete chaos at the moment. It has hard enough for you girls to find someone responsible enough to look after your house. Who is going to be able to look after an actual baby for the months you're on tour?"  
"I've had enough of this!"  
All the girls gasped as Scarlet, who had been silent through the whole conversation, stood and looked Mayzie straight in the eyes. "I can't believe you. You come back here and expect everyone to welcome you with open arms and for everything to go back to normal, after being away for weeks on end? This isn't a game, Mayzie! This is serious! Have you also forgotten about the horrible lurch you've left poor Horton in?"  
Mayzie looked down. " I guess so."   
"Scarlet…" Evie tried to ease her friend, but Scarlet wasn't giving up, her voice growing louder and louder.  
"Mayzie, you're going to be a mother soon.. to not one but two babies. The egg you left Horton to take care of could hatch any day now! These little mistakes of yours affects every one of us and because of you, our careers and reputations are on the line. For once in your life, could you please stop thinking about yourself and put other's first?!" With that, Scarlet stormed up the stairs up to her room and slammed the door shut.  
After an awkward long silence, Mayzie slowly stood. "I think I should turn in for the night. I'm truly sorry, girls." As Mayzie went quietly to her room, the remainder of the Bird Girls were in complete shock.  
"Scarlet never bursts out like that," Evie managed to say, shuffling her feet. "I have to agree with her a little, though. These babies change everything."   
"So what's going to happen with the tour?" Tia asked. "Are we just going to cancel it? We've been practicing for months on end for this gig. I even did five all-nighters to finalize the costumes!"  
All the girls turned to Zoe, as she was the oldest. She sighed, shaking her head. "I have no say on the matter. It's Mayzie's decision, and what she says goes. Though, I suggest that we continue as planned until Mayzie has rested, and we have all had a chance to calm down. We will continue rehearsals for next week as planned until further notice. Everyone understand?" The girls nodded in agreement.  
Skye stood up slowly, still struggling to believe all of what had occurred in the past half hour. "I'll ring the producer in the morning and tell him the news. I agree with Zoe. Let's just all have some rest, and we can talk more about this in the morning."  
~~~  
Around midday the next morning, Demi went straight back to the Bird Girl's house with Gertrude, wanting to make sure that they were all okay. When they arrived, they found Zoe, who was standing alone in the courtyard, with a coffee in hand. A small smile grew on her face as she saw Demi and Gertrude coming over to her.  
"How are you doing?" Demi asked reaching out to hug her friend. "Did you get any sleep last night?"  
Zoe shook her head, her eyes still baggy. "Not a wink." She led the pair back inside, putting the empty cup on the bench. "I'm sorry that you had to witness all that drama with Mayzie, Demi," Zoe apologized. "This could have been a great experience for you, but without a lead singer, there isn't much we can do…"  
"I understand," Demi told her. "It was awesome even to just see your rehearsals. I would have loved to have seen you all live!"  
"If only we could make that happen." The three stood in silence, before Zoe spoke again. "You girls wait here, I'll make us some more coffee."  
Zoe had only been gone for a few seconds before a sight at the top of the staircase made Demi gasp. "Kirsty!" She wasted no time, rushing up the stairs to embrace her friend. "You scared us half to death! Where on earth did you go last night?"  
Kirsty sighed, putting her hands back into her jacket pockets. "I was just tying up some loose ends. I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner; I guess we lost track of time."  
"We? Is that the mystery man that Evie was going on about last night?" Gertrude asked.  
Raising an eyebrow, Kirsty clarified. "Mystery man? More like an acquaintance."  
As Kirsty went to sit down, Zoe came back with some coffee. "Morning, Kirsty. Good to see you've found Demi. The clothes fit okay? I'm sorry if they are a little big."  
"Yeah, curse me and my crazy size…" Kirsty laughed, looking over her outfit, which consisted of an old leather jacket and jeans that once belonged to Evie. "But, honestly, they're fine. Thank you for letting me borrow them."  
Gertrude put her coffee down, before looking to Kirsty. "So, do you know that Mayzie is back?"  
"I got her up to speed," Zoe explained. "She arrived here a few hours after you girl's left, and Orla managed to explain everything to her before I found her a place to sleep."  
"So, what do you think about the egg business?" All went silent as Demi asked Kirsty, the girl not sure how to respond.  
Looking down, she eventually responded. "I'm not sure. At the moment, we shouldn't be jumping to any conclusions. After all, we don't know that much about Mayzie's side of the story."  
Gertrude nodded, standing. "We should get going, Zoe. Let you girls get some space and a little more sleep. The last thing you need is us sticking our noses in everything."  
"Maybe today we can introduce you to some of the jungle animals I met at the party last night!" Demi said, turning to Kirsty. "They will be so happy to meet you!"  
Zoe laughed. "Looks like you've got a big day ahead of you. I guess I'll see you all later then."  
Demi waved goodbye, before rushing out the door with Kirsty struggling to keep up with the pace. Gertrude smiled, seeing the two disappear. "Thank goodness she's back safe. Demi was really worried about her. Thank you so much for looking after her."  
"Don't mention it," Zoë told her. "I wouldn't worry about Kirsty, though. She's a smart girl. I just wish Mayzie had the same level of judgment."  
"Nothing's been resolved, then?"  
Both frustrated and worried, Zoe put a hand to her head. "Mayzie and Scarlet both haven't left their rooms yet, and the other girls can't be near the house. It's just all so messy. We have to keep it together, try and stand by each other. Otherwise, it's not just going be our music careers on the line. If we got the tour issue sorted, we would be able to figure everything out so much better. You heard Demi- she was looking forward so much to this tour! Our fans are counting on us, and I can't bear to let both them and my family down."  
Suddenly, Gertrude's eyes went wide, an idea coming to mind. "Zoë, you said that you couldn't perform without a lead right?"  
"Yeah, unfortunately. Mayzie brings just the right little extra pizzazz which make our performances so great," she explained.  
Nodding, Gertrude continued. "What if I were to tell you that I knew where I could find a stand in?"  
Zoë shook her head, not in the mood. "Gertrude, that's a nice thought, but entirely impossible! We have less than a week till opening night! They would have had to know all the steps, and the routine to our new number, and not to mention, they-"  
"What about Demi?"  
It took a few moments for Zoë to register Gertrude's remark. She turned away from her, thinking it over. "How confident is she with her singing?"  
"She can be a little insecure about her voice sometimes, but she has a great sound."  
"Style?"  
"A mix between Jazz and Showgirl."  
"Dance level?"  
"Did you even see her moves last night? And she is willing to give anything a go."  
Silently pacing the room, Zoë remained deep in thought, knowing her decision could make or break, whatever the outcome. Gertrude, however, was very clear on her opinion. "Come on, Zoë. You've seen Demi. She's been working with you guys for weeks now. She has what it takes!"  
Zoe slumped back onto the couch, putting her head in her hands. Before long, she gave out a much needed sigh. "Gertrude, this is a serious decision I have to consider. Our tour is a huge event, and we can't afford to make any mistakes." Looking back at her friend, Zoë's face softened. "Look, I don't make the final decision. I am only a backing singer. Besides, who knows what our producer would say when he found out we-"  
"Please, Zo!" Gertrude begged. "Just tell me, in your opinion, would you let her in?"  
"I think she would be able to do it." Zoë stated, standing back up. "I will be honest, this won't be easy. But I think that she does have the skills to perform, if she chooses to do it. But remember, this isn't definite. I'll have to get the okay from the other girls and Mayzie."  
Gertrude squealed with delight, wrapping Zoë up in a hug. "Thank you, Zoë. I promise you, she will be so excited that she is Mayzie's understudy! You won't be disappointed!"


	8. A Risk  Worth  Taking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bird Girls discuss the possibility of Demi being Mayzie's understudy.

*Oh, Mayz…what on earth have you gotten us into this time?*  
Zoë's eyes were firmly set out on the pink, rosy morning sky that covered the jungle, its warm glow calming down her chaotic head. With the drama that was last evening still yet to be resolved, Zoë could hardly even think straight, let alone have a peaceful night sleep, her eyes still heavy. With one last glance into the sunrise, she left the courtyard, in desperate need of a large coffee.  
The minute she entered the kitchen, her eyes went immediately to Scarlet who was silently preparing pancakes. She was turned away from Zoë, not even noticing her arrival, her tangled feathers and hunched figured implying that she had only just woken up.  
"How did you sleep last night?" Zoë asked her sister, breaking the uncomfortable silence.  
Scarlet, still half asleep, took a bit of time to reply. "Not that great. Yourself?"  
"Not a wink," she sighed, sitting down on a stool close by. "We've certainly had a lot to stomach in the past couple of hours."  
"Tell me about it." A pin drop could almost be heard, the conversation coming to a halt. Breathing deeply, Scarlet stopped flipping the pancakes, her head going down into her hands. "I just can't believe Mayzie did that. We should be helping her through her situation, but all I did is made it even worse. I know I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, it's just that…I have never been so upset or disappointed with her."  
Putting a wing around her friend, Zoe's voice shifted to an empathetic tone. "I think all of us are a little frustrated with her. We're all shocked. These babies certainly complicate things."  
"Has anyone talked to the tour producer yet?"  
Zoë shook her head. "No, Skye is supposed to call him, but she's locked herself in the lounge. Everyone's trying to escape it, but we have to face this someday. I have no idea how he is going to react to the news."  
A thought coming to her, her face grew fearful. "You don't suppose he would fire Mayzie? After all, she has been incredibly irresponsible. He told her last month that she was on her last strike!"  
"I don't know what to think anymore," Scarlet told her, now back on the pancakes. "If that were to happen, we would be without a lead singer. That would be horrific to say the least."  
In no time, Scarlet was busy serving up breakfast for herself and Zoe, the bird now pouring out two large mugs of coffee. "This may be completely going the wrong direction…." Zoe uttered, while Scarlet was making her coffee. "But last night, after you went to your room, Gertrude came up with an interesting solution to our problem of finding a replacement lead."  
"Really?" Scarlet place the mug down, now interested. "Come on now, what is it?"  
"Demi. She could be Mayzie's understudy while we go on tour."  
Scarlet's face shaped into one of thought, the bird's eyes flickering in all directions. "Do you really think the producer would approve that? More importantly…." Her eyes moved back to Zoe, her voice low. "Would Mayzie approve?"  
Shrugging, she quickly took a sip of coffee. "I really don't know. I don't see why we couldn't give her a chance. In the end though, it's really up to the producer."  
"What do you suppose the other girls might think of this idea?" Scarlet asked her, her voice now reflecting that of a professional reporter, Zoe now growing nervous.  
"I think the prospect is really exciting," she answered, her face determined. "Demi really seems to fit right in with us, once she gets over few insecurities she has I think she will be just fine."  
For the next few minutes, Scarlet remained in deep contemplation, muttering and pacing the room at a quick rate. Just when Zoe thought that she might run into a wall, her friend stopped, immediately sitting down on the closest chair, her hands clasped. "Zoe, you do realize the seriousness of the situation don't you?" Seeing Zoe firmly nod in reply, she took a deep breath in, now at an outcome. "If you believe that she is a possible option, then I believe that she must have the correct amount of perseverance and talent for the job. Of course, we will have to speak with the producer, but I see no harm in training her up. Anyway, we could do with the extra practice!"

 

Zoe smiled wide, her grin widening as she saw Scarlet's expression reflect her own. "Now, you go get Demi, while I get the girls, then we can talk through the idea with them and starting working on piecing how everything will work together. "  
"Uh, Scarlet…" Scarlet's head whipped back around, hearing Zoe, who was almost at the door. "Remember to apologise to Mayzie, okay?"  
The moment Scarlet heard the closing of the penthouse door, her heartbeat started to quicken, nerves setting in. She had no idea how Mayzie would listen to their solution, let alone if the lead singer would even let her second eldest backup singer try and apologize to her. With doubts still swirling, Scarlet took a large gasp of air and set to work, the task of facing her demons at the very end on her list.  
~  
"Come in."  
Letting out a delicate yawn, Mayzie's eyes slowly came into focus, to see Scarlet, poking her head out of the door.  
"Mayzie?" she asked, her usual strong voice now small and timid. ""How do you feel?"  
"Better than what I was a few minutes ago…" Mayzie sighed, her cheeks looking pale. She tiredly rubbed her eyes, as Scarlet shut the door behind her. "If I ever knew about the sickness and fatigue, I wouldn't have thought twice about avoiding all this.  
Looking nervous, it took a bit of time for Scarlet to look straight at Mayzie. "Mayz, I-"  
"You don't need to apologise," she cut in, now sitting on the side of the bed. "You were angry at me, and for good reason. I never in my life expected this to happen, but of course these things do to those who are reckless. I deserve everything that comes at me. "

 

Scarlet shook her head, sitting down beside her. "Don't talk like that. Everyone makes mistakes; this was just bad timing. I should have been helping you through this instead of making your first night back miserable. In a way, I am just as much in the wrong as you are." Carefully, she gave her friend a small hug, not wanting to upset Mayzie's rocky condition. "Do you think that you are well enough to get dressed and come downstairs? We all have something we want to run by you."  
Seeing a quiet 'yes' from Mayzie, Scarlet helped the girl get ready, and in a few minutes, she was helping her through the house. 

"I'm not a cripple, Scarlet," Mayzie laughed. "I'll be fine to walk a little way, you know. I've been in worse states, and traveled longer…but I appreciate the help."  
As Scarlet led her though the house, and the closest they got to the rehearsal room, the more confused Mayzie became, especially when she saw the sight of her other back-up singers in their performance outfits.  
"Uh, girls…what's going on?" Mayzie finally uttered, before Jessica came over to her.  
"We've been talking, Mayzie," she told her, leading her further into the room. "And we know that you are extremely keen to continue the tour as planned, but with the addition of two small problems, we had to think about what we would do if you couldn't manage it."  
Orla nodded, standing up from her seat. "You may not agree with us, but we would appreciate it if you heard us out."  
Slowly, Zoe moved towards Mayzie, bringing an anxious Demi with her. "We have had the idea of maybe putting Demi as your understudy for the tour, so if we decided to do it, then if something happens or you suddenly become ill, then we will still be able to perform."  
"She knows all the songs, and her dance level is pretty high," Tia added. "We were just thinking ahead, Mayzie. But if you think you are up to it-"  
"Girls, I don't think I should come on the tour."  
The room fell silent, each girl struggling to comprehend what Mayzie had just said. "What do you mean? We thought that you wanted to come, no matter what!" Evie asked.  
"You girls were right; I need to take responsibility for my actions," Mayzie told them, her voice now serious as she sat down. "These babies need a proper mother to look after them, and even though I may not be one as yet, I am going to try my hardest to be one for them." Next, she looked to Demi, her kind eyes easing the Who's nerves. "Demi, I've heard a lot about you from my girls, and from what I can see, I believe that you can do this."  
"But, Mayzie…I can't do this alone," Demi responded. "You've had years of experience; this is my first ever real show like this!"  
At that very moment, the phone started to ring. Skye rushed to pick it up, all the girls now surrounding her. "Hello?" All around her hushed, especially when Skye began to quiver. "Thank you for getting back to us….Yes, Mayzie is back-…Ah" Slowly, she turned back to Mayzie, passing the phone to her. "It's the producer. He wants to discuss the tour with you."  
A small gulp could be heard, Mayzie warily taking the phone and speaking to the producer. "Yes?" Mayzie took a deep breath, a loud, slightly angry voice on the other end. "I know, sir. But before you go ahead and fire me, there is something I wanted to let you know." Her eyes quickly flashed back to Demi, then returned to the phone. "I have decided to take some leave due to personal reasons. So, for the incoming tour, I have chosen a replacement. Her name is Demi, and she has the right amount of talent and commitment to take over as the lead for a few months."  
The girls stared at each other, amazed at how brace and confident Mayzie sounded. "However, you will not need to bother yourself with training Demi. I myself will show her the ropes, and help her in any way she can during the tour."  
"Really?" Demi burst out, overjoyed. "You would help me?"  
"You'd better believe it." The minute Mayzie hung the phone up, her attention was all at Demi. "Get ready, girls. We are going to have the best tour the globe has ever seen."  
Zoe held in a breath. "You mean… he approved of Demi being our stand in?"  
"For the opening performance, at least," Mayzie explained. "He will have to meet her in person, of course. Not to mention the massive contract, and the media training, and-"  
"In other words; Demi- you're in!" Evie cried, jumping up and down in joy. She soon scooped her friend up in a hug, the other birds joining her.  
In the mists of the celebrations, the doors swung open to reveal Gertrude and Kirsty, both ecstatic. "Demi! I'm so happy for you! You finally get your big break!" Kirsty said, kindly, as she rushed over to her.  
Demi nodded, her smile contagious. "I know! Isn't it exciting?"  
While the two shared a hug, Gertrude came over to them, a plate of drinks in her hands. "I just thought that this sort of moment needed something," she shrugged, letting out a small laugh.  
Now standing up on a small table, all's attention moved to Scarlet, who was raising her glass. "Well, then…I propose a toast, to Demi and the most spectacular world tour ever!"  
All the girls cheered, clinking glasses, before they drifted into excited chatter, the entire atmosphere of the room alight with joyful anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes from Janine: We own no Seussical Characters. This story is set in the universe of the show I was in with the PTA in April which is nominated for 7 NH Theatre Awards. YAY!!!!!!! Congrats to everyone! I am sad that this story is nearing it's end after one more chapter as it has been extremely fun to write. Thank you to AthenaChild1 and everyone who has given us feedback. A series of holiday centered one shots based on Seussical is forthcoming so stay tuned!


	9. A   Chance  Of A  Lifetime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tour producer pays a visit to the Bird Girls and as a group a determination is made that Demi will be Mayzie's permanent replacement on the tour. Horton's trial also takes place with a slightly different outcome then the one in the play.

Demi excused herself to go out to the garden and take a walk. She had a lot on her mind and had to sort through her emotions to make sense of everything. She was having a hard time believing she was going to be Mayzie's understudy on the tour. About 10 minutes later Jessica came into the courtyard.

"Are you okay?"  
Demi shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I am still trying to process everything."  
"It's pretty cool that Mayzie trusts you enough to be her understudy huh?"  
"I'm worried I won't be able to meet everyone's expectations."  
Jessica put a wing around her friend. " What makes you so nervous and insecure?"  
"It's just this is my first time performing in front of the whole world. I mean I was in chorus in high school but this is a huge step for me. I was never much of a dancer either."  
"We believe in you. You'll do great!"   
Demi began to relax. "Thanks Jess."  
"You're welcome."   
At 6:00 the doorbell rang. Zoe and Skye answered.  
"Good evening ladies."  
"Good evening Mr. James. Won't you come in?"  
"Certainly I'm famished. Will Mayzie be joining us for dinner?"  
Zoe shook her head. "I'm afraid not sir. She's feeling a bit under the weather today."  
"The flu?"  
Skye shook her head. "No, morning sickness."  
" Let's get settled. We have a lot to fill you in on sir. " Zoe said.  
The bird girls and Demi sat down with the tour producer for pre-dinner drinks.  
"And who might you be?" Mr. James's gaze landed on Demi.  
"My name is Demi sir." Demi whispered.  
Mr. James smiled. ""No need to be shy, trust me I'm not as intimidating as I look."  
Demi nodded.  
Zoe looked at Mr. James with a serious expression on her face.. "Sir, Mayzie is expecting a child. That's why she's taking leave from the tour."  
"So she won't be coming with you girls at all?"  
"Afraid not. She also left our friend Horton with an egg and that's due to hatch any day now so she'll have two children to raise." Scarlet said.  
Mr. James sighed. " Did this pregnancy come about while she was away on her 'extended' vacation?"   
All seven bird girls nodded.  
"And where do you fit into this situation young lady?" Mr. James's gaze was directed on Demi for a second time.

"This is what we wanted to run by you sir. Do you approve of Mayzie having an understudy? Demi has graciously offered to step in. We've been teaching her all the songs and choreography." Scarlet asked.  
All seven bird girls looked at their tour producer curiously.  
"Demi, do you realize that this tour is a huge time commitment?" Mr. James asked.  
Demi nodded. "Yes sir, I do. I'm up for this challenge and I'm very excited about it."

"Would you ever consider being Mayzie's permanent replacement?"  
Demi's jaw dropped. "What?! I'm really not sure."  
Evie's jaw was also scraping the floor. "You're going to fire Mayzie sir?"  
Mr. James's expression was stoic. "Yes, Evie. I'm afraid so. I think you girls can all agree with me that Mayzie is irresponsible and doesn't take this job as seriously as she should. This was her last strike if you all remember correctly."  
Orla nodded. "Yes sir, we certainly remember. Once she has the baby do you think you might change your mind? The fact that she has to care for not one but two children will have to prove some sort of responsibility to you."   
Mr. James shrugged. "Perhaps. I tend to have a lot of doubt that will change my mind completely."  
"Do you suppose I could ask a favor sir?" Demi asked  
Mr. James smiled warmly. "Anything with in reason my dear."  
"Could we perform a concert in my hometown before we leave for the tour? It will probably be the last time I see my family or my friends for awhile." 

Mr. James's smile grew wider. "I see no problem with that. Where do you live?"  
"Whoville sir."  
It was time for Mr. James's jaw to drop. "Excuse me, but did you say Whoville?"  
Demi nodded.  
"How on earth did you get here to Nool?"  
"I have a friend named Kirsty who has magical powers and she transported me here."  
Mr. James nodded skeptically "I see. Does this friend of yours know the Cat In The Hat? I have heard that he has some magical powers of his own."  
Demi sighed, not wanting to blow her friend's cover. "Yes sir, she does. They're acquaintances."   
"Did the Cat have any assistance in transporting you and Kirsty to Nool?"  
The Bird Girls stared at their friend in shocked silence. Demi fidgeted.  
"Maybe he did and maybe he didn't Sir, I never really asked her about her connection to the Cat In The Hat." 

"Dem, was that the mysterious boy from the party?" whispered Evie.  
Demi couldn't look her friend in the eye. "Yes, that was the Cat In The Hat. Kirsty disappeared with him after the party and was gone until Sunday morning."   
"Are you still in touch with this girl Kirsty?" Mr. James asked.  
Demi nodded. "Will that be a problem sir?"  
Mr. James shook his head. "It shouldn't be..... does she live in Whoville too?"  
Demi nodded again. "Yes sir. She is only a visitor though. She's actually a human from Australia. The Cat transported her from Melbourne to the land of Seuss. She heads back to Australia the week we leave for tour. Is Melbourne a stop on our schedule?"  
Mr. James nodded. "Yes, we'll be in Melbourne in the middle of July."  
Demi grinned. "Excellent! Kirsty is excited. She's recently been adopted and she plans to take her new family to see our show."   
Mr. James's expression changed abruptly. "There is an issue with the Cat In The Hat though."  
"What's that sir?  
"Well, you see. He's a bit of a trouble maker. Is there anyway he'll be able to intercept you during the tour to take you home Demi?"  
Demi shrugged. "I haven't got a clue sir. I don't really know the extent of his powers." 

Demi was secretly wishing she had brought this subject up. She was instantly starting to regret it. 

Skye noticed that her friend looked uncomfortable. "Come on sweetheart. Let's go check to see if dinner is ready."

Demi got up and followed Skye to the kitchen, once they were out of earshot Skye looked at Demi.  
"Why didn't you tell us the Cat In The Hat was at the party?"

Demi looked away. A tear stained her cheek. She was angry at herself for blowing Kirsty's cover.

"How was I supposed to know it was him? I'm pretty sure he was wearing a disguise."  
Skye wrapped her arm around her friend. "Don't cry Demi. None of us are upset with you. I think Mr. James is a little bit worried that he'll interfere with the tour though."  
"He doesn't seem all that fond of The Cat. Why do you suppose that is?"  
Skye sighed, "Well, he kind of caused a little trouble the last time we were on tour. He doesn't want any of us to associate with him."  
Demi's eyes grew wide. "Really? What happened?"  
Skye sighed. "It's a long complicated story that's hard to explain. I don't want to get in to it. Bottom line: The Cat In The Hat is not supposed to be near as at all while we're performing."  
"How about after? Did he cause any trouble while you in your dressing room or at your hotel?"  
"A little bit."   
Demi was still crying  
Zoe entered the kitchen at that moment. "What seems to be the trouble here?"  
"Demi is a little bit upset. I think she's mad at her herself because she might have blown Kirsty's cover."  
"Oh darlin, please don't worry about that."  
"It's just that I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone. I don't want to betray her trust. Also if the Cat In The Hat really is responsible for transporting me and Kirsty here then if you guys don't have contact with him how will I get home after the tour is over?"  
Skye smiled. "You don't need to worry about that. We have a private jet that takes us to and from all our tour locations. We can always get you back to Whoville via plane."

Zoe noticed that Demi still looked anxious. "Is something else bothering you Demi?"

Demi nodded.  
"What's on your mind?  
" Well it's just that I'm floored that Mr. James would even ask me to permanently take over for Mayzie. How bad have things been with her commitment to the group?"

Zoe shuddered. "Pretty bad. This vacation was not the first unexpected trip that she took."  
Demi was floored. "Seriously?"  
Skye nodded. "Afraid so." It's been driving us nuts for the past year and a half."  
"Why does she do that?"  
Skye and Zoe shrugged their shoulders. "We honestly don't know."

"How would you feel about being Mayzie's permanent replacement darlin?" Zoe asked

Demi was quiet for about 5 minutes. "I guess it would be pretty cool. I would miss my family a lot though."   
" Would you want them to come on tour with us?" Skye asked..  
Demi shook her head. "No, I'll be back from tour in plenty of time for the Holidays. I'm just worried about leaving them behind if I take over for Mayzie permanently. My uncle aunt and cousins are pretty much all I have."  
"You don't have any parents?"  
"My parents got divorced after my youngest sister was born. My dad hasn't been in touch with us since then. My mom and sisters fled Whoville after the Butter Battle started . We haven't heard from them in a year. "  
"That must be really hard for you." Skye said  
Demi nodded. "It is."  
"Do you consider us to be like family to you?" Zoe asked  
Demi nodded. "Yes, you guys have been so nice to me. Thank you so much for everything."  
Zoe and Skye wrapped Demi in a warm hug. " We love you Demi." Zoe said.  
"I love you guys too." Demi whispered. Zoe kissed her on the top of the head softly.

A week later it was Horton's trial. Mayzie was feeling better so she decided to go along. She was not very excited to consider the fact that she might be interrogated.   
"Where's Kirsty?" Gertrude asked Scarlet.  
"She had a huge math test today and couldn't get out of it. "  
"That's too bad."  
Sour Kangaroo testified first and once she was done Evie was called to the stand/  
Judge Yertle shuffled some paperwork. "Your name is Evie correct?  
"Yes your honor. I'm the youngest of Mayzie's backup singers."  
"How long have you known the defendant and Gertrude?"  
"We're all neighbors. Our pent house in on the other side of Gertrude's house. We've known them for three years and they're good friends of ours."  
Judge Yertle shuffled some papers around. "What can you tell me about these so called "Whos?"  
"Well your honor my friends and I helped Gertrude find the clover and we were happy to see that the Whos were not frozen to death. We returned the clover to Horton last week before Kirsty and Demi arrived and he was very happy. He's been extremely worried about the well being of the Whos because of the cold weather."  
"And how did you come to know these other witnesses?" The bailiff nodded his head firmly at Demi.  
"They're friends of Gertrude and Horton. They've been visiting us for a few days."  
"How did they get here to Nool?"  
Evie looked at Demi. "I'll let my friend Demi explain your honor. Kirsty could not make it today unfortunately."  
"Thank you Evie. You're dismissed."   
Evie went back to her seat. Gertrude gave her a high five. "Great job Ev."

"Horton would you like to call your next witness?"  
Horton nodded. "I'd like to call Demi to the stand."  
Demi stood up.  
"Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?"  
"I do."  
Demi took her seat.  
Judge Yertle shuffled more paperwork around. "So you're from Whoville?"  
Demi nodded. "Yes, your honor. I've lived there my whole life."  
"How old are you Demi?"  
"25,your honor. I'll be 26 at the end of this week."  
"What brings you to Nool?"  
Demi looked at Kirsty. "Well my friend has some sort of magical powers and she transported both of us here."  
Judge Yertle raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Is that right?"  
"Yes your honor."  
"And you like it here?"  
"So far I like it here very much, Gertrude and the Bird Girls have been wonderful to me."  
"And what can you tell us about Whoville?"  
Demi grinned. "It's a great place to live. If you destroy the clover you will destroy the livelihood of many families. Families that have been already torn apart by the Butter Battle."  
"You have family in the Butter Battle I understand?"  
Demi's demeanor instantly changed. "Yes, your honor. My teenage cousins are fighting in the war. I miss them quite terribly."  
"Thank you Demi. You're dismissed."  
Demi was relieved that her questioning was over and walked back to her seat.  
"Two points for us!!" Jessica cheered.   
The court took a 15 minute recess for lunch and then Mayzie was called to the stand.

The prosecuting attorney looked Mayzie straight in the eye.

"Ms. La Bird, I've heard rumblings that you're expecting a child. Is this a fact?  
Mayzie nodded. "What does that have to do with the trial?"  
"You have been called to testify today because you unwillingly left Horton to care for your egg. Do you realize this is considering negligent and potentially makes you an unfit parent.?"  
Mayzie shook your head. "Horton has done a great job taking care of the egg your honor. The baby will be very healthy."  
"That's irrelevant. You saw Horton while you were in Palm Beach correct?"  
Mayzie nodded. "For 10 minutes while I was at the circus. I guess I didn't notice how upset he looked."  
"Did you care?"  
Mayzie glanced downward. "It's not that I didn't care. I just didn't know that Horton had been ridiculed for sitting on the egg. How was I supposed to?"  
"Do you regret not staying in touch with Gertrude or your back up singers?"  
Mayzie nodded. " I do."  
"Do you admit to being irresponsible and negligent?"  
Mayzie nodded.  
"Do you realize that your on going irresponsible behavior could cost you your job?"  
Mayzie's eyes grew wide. She turned around and made eye contact with Tia and Jessica who immediately looked away from her. "No your honor. I didn't realize that but isn't that irrelevant to this case as well?"  
"Not completely. You have been irresponsible and it has affected both your personal and professional life. Do you deny this?"  
Mayzie shook her head.  
"No further questions. You're dismissed."  
"Thank you." Mayzie stepped down from the witness stand.  
The jury was excused to deliberate. Once they left Gertrude turned to face Mayzie.  
"You do realize Demi is taking your place on the tour?"  
Mayzie nodded. "Of course I do... everything's worked out. She'll fill in for me on tour. I'll be back to work after that no problem."  
Jessica let out a sigh. "Mayzie, we hate to break it to you but Demi is going to permanently replace you."  
"What the heck are you talking about?"  
"You're out of the group, Mr. James fired you when he came over to meet with us."  
"You guys could have woken me up from my nap you know... I would have liked to have sort of say in that decision."  
Zoë looked at her former lead singer. "We feel like we can't trust you Mayzie. If you didn't go away on so many of these small vacations and would keep in contact with us while you were away we'd feel differently. To us it seems like you don't take this job seriously. Mr. James feels the same way I'm afraid."  
"I've let you guys down and I feel awful about it. I'm sorry." Mayzie couldn't look any of her back up singers in the eye.  
After 10 minutes the jury returned.

"Jury what is your verdict?" Judge Yertle asked  
One of the jurors stood up. "Mayzie has been accused on 2 counts of negligence and child abandonment your honor. All charges against Horton have been dropped. He is free to go."   
Delighted screams erupted from the place where the bird girls sat and they all embraced each other. The young jungle creatures Victoria, Rose, Stella and Annabelle came over to greet their friends.  
"We're so happy for Horton!!" Stella said, grinning from ear to ear  
"We are too, Thanks for being on our side girls." Jessica hugged them tightly.  
"You're welcome. Horton didn't deserve to be treated so mean. He's so nice to everyone." Rose smiled.  
"You must be getting so excited about your tour." Annabelle said.  
Orla smiled. "We're getting down to the wire with our rehearsals but we're excited. Did you girls know Demi is going to be Mayzie's understudy?"  
Victoria shook her head and smiled at her new friend. "That's great! I'm excited for you Demi."  
Demi returned the teen's ear to ear grin "Thanks I'm real excited! It's going to be a whole new experience for me"   
"When do you guys leave?" Annabelle asked  
"May 1st. We have a performance in Whoville the last week in April."   
"You must be excited to perform for your friends and family." Annabelle said  
"It's a bit nerve wracking actually." Demi admitted.  
"Like I told you before you have nothing to worry about." Jessica put a wing around her friend.   
The month of April flew by and pretty soon it was the week of the performance in Whoville. Demi could not be more nervous. The performance would be at the community center where she had seen the Jazz concert when she had first befriend Kirsty. She was lucky to be able to eat dinner at home with her family.  
" Sweetheart, we're so proud of you." Her Uncle Charles said  
"Your parents and sisters would be too. We really wish they could see you perform tonight." her aunt Sophia added.  
"The Bird Girls have been so nice to me. It's going to be so much fun going to on tour with them. This is the big break I've been wanting to get for awhile."  
"What time do you need to be at the theatre to get ready?" her aunt asked.   
"Around 6."  
"Are you nervous Dem?: her cousin Wynona asked.  
"Extremely. My friend Jess said I have nothing to worry about."  
Her aunt smiled. "She's right you know. You're going to do absolutely fantastic!"  
Once Demi got to the theatre she immediately went backstage to get her costume on. She couldn't believe she was wearing one of Mayzie's costumes. It felt like she was living a dream. 'Can someone please pinch me?' she thought to herself.  
There was a tap on her door. It was the stage manger.  
"Demi, someone asked me to give these flowers to you. It was a teenage girl. I think she was outside with her brother and her parents. They wanted to come back here but I told them to wait until after the show to see you."  
Demi smiled. "Thank you. I think these are from Kirsty."  
The stage manager closed the door softly behind him and Demi opened the card that was attached to the bouquet. She was right. It was from Kirsty  
.  
It read as follows  
Dear Demi  
Congrats on your big performance. I couldn't be more excited or happy for you. You have worked really hard for this and you deserve all the success you get. I am going to miss you when I go home to Australia. You have been like an older sister to me and I really appreciate your friendship. I do not think I'll ever be back to visit Nool or Whoville so I wanted to let you know I will miss everyone I have met here very much including you Horton, Gertrude and the Bird Girls.   
Knock em dead tonight!  
I love you!  
Love   
Kirsty

Demi's eyes grew misty. "Here's lookin at you kid. This one's for you." she whispered placing the bouquet in the vase on her vanity table.   
There was another soft knock on the door.   
"Come in." Tia and Jessica poked their heads in.   
"How ya doing superstar?" Tia asked.  
"More nervous than ever but hanging in there." Demi said.  
"Can we help you with your make up?" Jessica asked.  
"Sure! That would be great!"  
"Those flowers are pretty. Who are they from?"   
"Kirsty. The card made me cry. You're more than welcome to read it."  
Jessica picked up the card. Once she was done reading it she smiled. "She is the biggest sweetheart. We're really going to miss her a lot too."  
"Should we dedicate a song to her tonight?" Tia asked  
Demi smiled. "That's a great idea. Are we singing any songs related to friendship in the program?"  
"I don't think so but I'll tell you what.. the band leader is a really big James Taylor fan. I can ask him to play You've Got A Friend."  
"He wouldn't mind doing that?"  
"He shouldn't."  
Demi took a seat at her vanity table and Jessica and Tia got started right away on her make up. There was another tap at the door. It was the stage manager again.  
"25 minutes til curtain."   
"Thank you 25." Tia said.  
The door closed softly once again.  
"Your family must be so proud of you Dem." Tia said  
Demi nodded. "They are and they're excited to meet you guys too. I'll have to introduce you after the show."  
The 25 minutes seemed to pass quickly and finally the show was about to begin. The emcee stepped out from behind the curtain.  
"Ladies and gentlemen. We have a special treat for you tonight. The famous girl group from Nool is here to perform some jazz and showtune favorites. Mayzie Labird has taken ill so our very own Demi will be filling in for her. Enjoy the show. Please remember there is no flash photography allowed."  
The curtain rose and the spotlight went up. Demi stepped up to the microphone and band began to play the first song which was by Ella Fitzgerald.  
During intermission Zoë came up behind Demi and wrapped her arm around her.  
"You're doing a really great job out there."  
Demi wrapped her friend in a hug. "Thank you. I guess Jessica was right. I didn't have any real reason to be nervous."  
Zoë smiled. " You really saved this show for us. If you hadn't stepped in we would have had to cancel the tour and lost a ton of money."  
"I was really happy I could help you guys out. Now that I have a taste of what it feels to perform with you guys I am even more excited for the tour. I guess I also feel a bit more comfortable with the idea of permanently replacing Mayzie. Do you suppose Mr. James will ever change his mind about allowing her back in the group?"  
Zoë shrugged her shoulders. "It would actually be sort of fun if the you two performed together and sang a few duets. I know you're insecure about your voice but you don't really need to be. Perhaps in October we can have another meeting with Mr. James and discuss that possibility."  
Demi's smile grew wider. "That would be awesome!"  
"Are you going to introduce us to your family after the show?"  
Demi nodded. "Yeah. I was telling Jess and Tia they're really excited to meet you guys."  
Zoë gave Demi another squeeze. "We love you darlin."  
"I love you guys too."  
At that moment Demi could not be more grateful for the new friends she had made or the journey she was about to embark on.

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sad this story is over! It has been so fun to write! This story is all about family and friendship.. perfectly fitting because the PTA has pretty much become like a family to me. Sophie and I hope you all have enjoyed reading this equally as much as we enjoyed writing it. Happy New Year everyone!


End file.
